City Councilman Greg Brockhouse on Tuesday called for an immediate and independent review of the Tricentennial Commission, its oversight, contracting, and fundraising efforts.

Benavides came under fire over an exclusive media partnership with TV station KSAT, a deal worked out months before the commission issued a request for proposals. Benavides’ brother, Brandon, is an executive producer for KSATs “Good Morning San Antonio.”

The partnership deal — along with an ambitious $50 million budget pitched by Benavides and his staff — raised red flags over the commission’s operation. The funding goal has since been scaled back to $10.1 million, amid questions about the Tricentennial Commission’s stewardship of the year-long birthday party set to begin Jan. 1.

Carlos Contreras, one of San Antonio’s four assistant city managers, was named interim CEO. Earlier this year, Contreras oversaw another controversial and politically charged project — screened proposals for the city’s lucrative river-barge contract.

Benavides’ base salary at the commission was $167,763. He previously was paid $132,804 as City Manager Sheryl Sculley’s chief of staff. Contreras’ compensation was not disclosed.

Kenric Ward is a veteran journalist whose work has appeared at Fox News, Houston Chronicle, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, TownHall, Roll Call, and Human Events. An editor and reporter at three Pulitzer Prize-winning newspapers, Ward was Virginia bureau chief for Watchdog.org before relocating to Texas. He earned a bachelor's degree (Phi Beta Kappa) in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.

So this guy is in clear ethical violations, is removed as the CEO of the commission but the city still continues to pay him a handsome salary and reassigns him to another department? This city of San Antonio is an absolute mess!! There’s so much corruption in law enforcement and government, it’s not even funny anymore!

I don’t know how we managed to get these people appointed well I guess it’s true what brockhaus says this city is that corrupt but somebody’s got to be responsible for his dispatch and I just can’t see how Nuremberg doesn’t see this benign Origins Jew but this is like the blind leading the blind and if it doesn’t stop you’re going to end up not having the 300 celebration. No but native said that they did ceremony back on May 14th 2016 cuz that’s when father Olivari came with the Spanish war council That’s The Story Goes didn’t come here and peace that’s probably why it’s hard to tell American history is the whole of this nation is been born from genocide that’s why they won’t take down the Christopher Columbus statue